Social Divisions and Later Life

In the media

As the population ages, this book reveals how divides that are apparent through childhood and working life change and are added to in later life.

Two internationally renowned experts in ageing look beyond longstanding factors like class, gender and ethnicity to explore new social divisions, including contrasting states of physical fitness and mental health. They show how differences in health and frailty are creating fresh inequalities in later life, with significant implications for the future of our ageing societies.

This accessible overview of social divisions is essential reading for those interested in the sociology of ageing and its differences, diversities and inequalities.

“How do social divisions and differences determine the experience of ageing? Higgs and Gilleard’s unique perspective and intellectual rigour challenge preconceptions of how the social location of later life is constituted.” Kevin McKee, Dalarna University

“Health and economic disparities among older adults are a critically important concern. This rich, multidisciplinary analysis provides an excellent overview of late-life inequalities and policy solutions for mitigating these inequities.” Deborah Carr, Boston University

“This comprehensive and forensic investigation provides essential theoretical and empirical insights on diversity, difference and divisions in old age in the 21st century." Ian Rees Jones, Cardiff University

Chris Gilleard is Visiting Senior Research Fellow in the Department of Social & Policy Sciences at the University of Bath and the Division of Psychiatry at University College London. He has published in the areas of psychology, medicine, history and sociology as they relate to ageing and old age. He is also a fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences.

Paul Higgs is Professor of the Sociology of Ageing at University College London. He has published widely on the changing nature of later life and is a co-editor of the journal 'Social Theory and Health'. Paul is also a fellow of both the Academy of Social Sciences and the Gerontological Society of America.

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